


According to Adam

by captain_nicnac



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, True Forms, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 18:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20050741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_nicnac/pseuds/captain_nicnac
Summary: Adam and Aziraphale have a slight disagreement over the nature of his relationship with Crowley.





	According to Adam

**Author's Note:**

> I don't fucking know English slang so, sowwy

“I think you might be in love,” Adam stated. 

It almost came across as an accusation, and Aziraphale was so shocked that he dropped his tea cup a few inches above its dish. No one could tell, but Crowley’s eyes were solely on Aziraphale, perhaps in order to perform a little demonic prevention of tea spillage, perhaps for other reasons. 

The angel and the demon had been bickering to one another about whether or not they even liked each other, to the amusement of the Them, who by then had become acquainted with (a synopsized version of) their history. But Adam had spoken so matter-of-factly that the conversation leading up to his words evaporated, and for a moment none followed as everyone tried to think of how to respond. The bookshop was silent. Pepper was nodding sagely, Weneslydale frowning pensively, and even Brian had paused in his munching on Aziraphale’s biscuits to look slightly scandalized. Aziraphale became gradually aware of everyone’s eyes, including Crowley’s, on him. He wasn’t quite sure why it was his job to respond, and he rather wished Crowley would communicate what he wanted him to say, but eventually he cleared his throat and took on the challenge. 

“That’s quite impossible,” Aziraphale finally managed, through a smile simultaneously patient and frantic, “Two people such as us cannot possibly-“

“Actually,” Wensleydale said, “It’s perfectly alright for two men to be in love. Some people think that isn’t true but my parents say those people are living in the dark ages.”

“I have a gay cousin,” Pepper chimed in, “She’s even married.”

“It’s not that,” Aziraphale said nervously, “I’m an angel, and he’s a demon.”

“Right,” added Crowley, who had up until that moment been very still and quiet.

“Oh, only barely,” claimed Adam, rolling his eyes. 

“If you can be friends despite being an angel and a demon,” Brian reasoned, “Why can’t you be in love?”

“It’s not just that we are—were—on opposite sides,” Aziraphale argued, bringing a trembling teacup back to his lips, “You see, romance and love and such are all very… human phenomena. As an angel I have unconditional love for all of God’s creations, and that’s the end of it. And I’m sure Crowley considers it one of those four-letter words he’s not so fond of.”

“Absolutely,” Crowley said, having done little else than lean in closer to the conversation. 

“Well, I’m not convinced,” said Adam.

“What has you so bloody sure?” Crowley said with a slight hiss Adam knew better than to fear. 

“Because you do all the things people do when they’re in love.” 

Aziraphale scoffed. 

“Ridiculous. Absolute… nonsense. ”

“Actually, Adam’s right,” Wensleydale said, “You go on dates.”

“We do not!” Aziraphale said. 

“You’re always talking about the Ritz or this or that restaurant,” Pepper said. 

“And you’re always meeting in St. James park to feed the ducks,” Brian added uncertainly.

“We spend time together because we’re friends, just like you children.” 

“You live together,” Adam said. 

“Crowley doesn’t live here.”

“I just sleep here,” Crowley added helpfully. 

“And you’re here every time we visit,” Adam said. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of you without the other.”

“You even hold hands!” Brian said triumphantly, as if he hadn’t been quite sure at first but had since been converted. 

“That was one time,” Crowley growled.

“I didn’t want to lose him in the crowd!” Aziraphale said at the same time.

“I don’t remember there being much of a crowd,” Pepper said, chin held high. 

“I don’t expect you children to understand,” Aziraphale said gently, “But celestial beings simply don’t operate the same way-“

“All you have to do is kiss and you’re a couple,” Adam said with finality.

Despite himself Crowley barked out a laugh. Aziraphale glanced at him in a way that was supposed to communicate “don’t encourage them”, but instead came across as slightly pained. 

“I think it’s quite time for you all to head home,” Aziraphale said, “Run along.”

“But he even calls you-“

“Alright you lot,” Crowley said with a sigh, “The angel gets a bit grumpy at this time of the day, better do as he says lest you face his ethereal wrath. Brian, just take the tin.”

The Them protested but only for show. It was getting around the time that they should head home, if only so their parents didn’t get suspicious. They filed out of the shop, thanking Aziraphale for his hospitality. And if Adam smirked pointedly at Crowley as he left, Crowley certainly didn’t notice nor sneer in return. 

As soon as they were gone, Aziraphale traded his tea for a glass of wine.

“Honestly, those kids are far too young to be visiting Soho on their own,” Aziraphale huffed, “We should really tell their parents.”

“Oh come on, angel,” Crowley said, pouring himself a glass, “They averted the Apocalypse, sure they can handle themselves. Not to mention they’ve grown quite a bit since then.”

Aziraphale glared at Crowley but said nothing. They never really talked about the Apocalypse-That-Wasn’t, though they periodically brought it up casually as though to convince themselves that the event was totally behind them in every possible way, that it didn’t bother them at all.

Aziraphale cleared the dishes before settling down to read a book. Or at least, he attempted the latter, but Crowley insisted on interjecting every so often until the angel gave in and engaged him in conversation. 

A few drinks later Aziraphale cheeks were rosy and Crowley’s glasses were off. There was a moment of silence between them as Aziraphale peered into those golden eyes, the secret he kept even from himself bubbling up and threatening to make itself known. 

“Can you believe,” he said, reacting to his own unconscious anxiety, “the thought… the very idea…”

“What are you on about, angel,” Crowley slurred. 

“The… what the.. what the children were saying,” Aziraphale said, “In love!”

“We just need to kiss,” Crowley said with a wicked grin, “That’s how it works, according to Adam, and reality is according to Adam. 

Aziraphale rolled his eyes and Crowley giggled. 

“Oh, what is it?” Crowley said in his mocking whine, “Wensleydale wrong? Gay, uh, too much of a sin, hm?”

“Crowley,” Aziraphale berated, “That’s not funny.”

“You scared?” Crowley taunted. 

Aziraphale felt like he was, and tried not to think about why. A kiss means something, doesn’t it? 

“Of course not,” he said, softer than he intended. 

“Come on then, angel” Crowley said, “Give a demon a cheeky kiss.”

Aziraphale paused. Before he could think about it too much he leaned in and pressed his lips against Crowley’s. It was short, and it was awkward, and they pulled apart quickly. 

They stared at each other silently for a moment, and Aziraphale tried to read Crowley’s eyes but he might as well have been wearing his glasses. 

“I guess Adam was wrong then,” Crowley said stiffly, as if just realizing what had happened and sobering considerably.

“Quite,” Aziraphale replies, sitting up straight. 

“Well, that was a fun experiment” Crowley said, “I’m going to bed.”

Aziraphale watched him stand with an unidentifiable ache. He felt as if a door had closed, one he was never sure he wanted to enter but that he reveled in looking through occasionally. He didn’t know what it was like to be in love like humans. He never would. He just knew…

Well, he knew how he felt about Crowley. Six thousand years of familiarity. A relationship that transcended proximity, transcended good and evil, transcended the material and immaterial alike. The knowledge of how the universe flowed in the spaces between things, how it flowed around Crowley. This love tasted different from the love of humans or even the love of angels—and was ineffable even as the love of God. 

But the physical manifestation of this emotion felt cheap to him. It was an imitation, an ill-crafted forgery. And Aziraphale refused to leave it with that. 

“Crowley,” Aziraphale said softly, “Wait.”

He stood to face his centuries old rival, accomplice, friend. Crowley had replaced his glasses. Aziraphale glanced back and forth between his worrying hands and Crowley’s blank gaze as he closed some of the distance between them. 

“I don’t know if I can fall in love like humans do,” he said, a bit rushed so he couldn’t stop himself, “I don’t think we were meant to. But…”

Crowley arched a single eyebrow, and Aziraphale had to swallow a fond sigh in order to continue. 

“You are my dearest, dearest companion,” Aziraphale continued, “When I see you, I feel the greatest depth of joy God made possible for me. You soothe my spirit in a manner I find... unfathomable. And I hope to never part from you for as long as I exist.”

Crowley had begun to circle round him in that way that used to make Aziraphale feel predated, but had since begun to make him feel like the center or a wild and swirling universe. One that was their own. 

“It doesn’t matter to me if we feel what humans do,” Aziraphale said, watching Crowley’s shoes pace the floor, “It doesn’t matter to me what rituals we follow, if it looks like romance or friendship or something entirely different. It doesn’t matter what words we use. I just know I love you, and I will manifest that love in whatever way makes you happiest.”

Crowley removed his glasses, and Aziraphale half-expected mockery and scorn on his face. Instead, he was weeping. 

“I never thought,” he coughed out, “That is, I never doubted you could love. I just… never fancied you could love something like me. And I didn’t think I could love you in a way that mattered to you.”

“My dear boy,” Aziraphale replied, “Your love is the only heaven I wish to return to every day.”

Crowley embraced Aziraphale, bring him as close as his corporeal body could. But simultaneously, on some other plane that belonged just to them, their true forms pressed together as well. Their arms wrapped around each other; their wings wrapped around each other. Crowley’s hand gripped Aziraphale’s hair; Crowley’s scaled tail wrapped around one of Aziraphale’s many rings of fire. Crowley could feel the warmth of Aziraphale’s cheek against his; Crowley could feel the holy light of Aziraphale’s being shining into him. 

So it wasn’t a kiss exactly, but for them it was more important than that.


End file.
